Hubert biggins



(No Model.)

H. HIGGINS. COOKING, DRYING, AND STBRILIZING BY STEAM. No. 597,978. Patented Jan. 25, 1898.-

UNITED STATES HUBERT HIGGINS, OF CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND.

COOKiNG, DRYING, OR STERILIZING BY STEAM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 597,978, dated January 25, 1898. Applicati n filed August 10,1897. Serial No. 647,700. (No model.)

To all Z0h077'b it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HUBERT HIGGINS, a subject of the Queen of England, residing at Cambridge, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Cooking, Drying, or sterilizing by Steam, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus for cooking food or drying any substance or sterilizing animal or vegetable substances by means of steam, whereby in the same apparatus a constant current of steam may be employed at a temperature of about 100 centigrade or at any temperature above that point desirable for the purpose above mentioned, the steam in all cases being kept substantially at atmospheric pressure.

In the method of steam-cooking generally in use the food is placed in, a chamber or chambers into which the steam is introduced at a greater or less pressure. In mostcases no provision is made to avoid the condensation of the steam, {the food thereby becoming wet,) and in cases where temperatures above 1.00 centigrade are employed cumbersome and expensive chambers are necessary in order to resist the high pressure, which is a source of inconvenience and even danger in unskilled hands.

In no case are means provided to regulate the temperature of the cooking-chamber to suit the requirements of different culinary operationssuch as cooking, roasting, and baking--necessitating varying degrees of heat.

The apparatus employed in carrying out this invention comprises a chamber and a steam-superheater, with the necessary heating apparatus and steam-generator.

The accompanying drawing shows, diagrammatically, a chamber and superheater for doors, and it is connected by the pipe D with the superheater O, a pipe A being likewise provided for carrying away the steam.

The superheater may be of any ordinary construction that gives a travel of the desired extent to the steam, and is provided with openings controlled by valves at various portions of its length, so that the steam can be Withdrawn at will after a greater or less exposure to the heating medium. A convenient form consists of a coil, as shown at O, receiving its steam through the valve C and having openings controlled by valves C C C G into the pipe D, connected with the chamber A. The coil may be of any convenient form, either helical, as shown, or consisting of zigzag or parallel tubes united by return-bends, and may be of varying cross-section and caliber, the essential point being the faculty of controlling the length of travel of the steam when exposed to the heating medium. Four to the range of temperature which it may be I desired to employ in the chamber.

The superheater may be heated in any convenient manner, either directly by a gas or other furnace or by the products of combustion from the generator-furnace.

The supply of steam to the superheater may be obtained in any convenient manner, either from a generator forming part of the apparatus, and which may be either an ordinary boiler or a special arrangemente-as, for instance, a tube or system of tubes, part forming the generator and part the superheatenin which case the steam is produced at or about atmospheric pressure, or from generators primarily intended for other purposes, such as the main boilers of a factory or of a steamship. In the latter case a reducing-valve O, of any ordinary construction, is provided in addition to the valve (3, so as to reduce the high-pressure steam to any desired extent before its entry into the superheater.

In order to prevent condensation of steam within the chamber A, it may be provided with a jacket B, heated either (a) by passing through it the whole or a suificient proportion of the combustiongases from the heating apparatus of the boiler or superheater, or (b) by the direct application of heat to the exterior of the jacket, or'(c) by passing a current of steam from the superheater through the jacket previous to the introduction of steam into the chamber. The necessary pipes, dampers, &c., are provided in each case, so that the temperature is under control, and the outer Wall of the jacket is preferably lagged.

The pipe D may be conn ected direct with the steam-supplybya valve D, so that, if desired, steam may be passed through the chamber Without first passing through the superheater. If the steam is obtained from a high-pressure supply, this connection must be supplied With a reducing-valve, so that only low-pressure steam is admitted to the chamber.

All necessary gages, pyrometers, and fittings are provided for properly Working and controlling the apparatus.

Two or more chambers may be used and the steam passed from one to the other, a superheater being provided between each chamber, if desired. lVhen a series of several chambers is employed, the necessary connections are provided, so that any one chamber can be disconnected without stopping the circulation of steam through the rest of the series.

lVhen in operation, the jacket B is first heated, so as to warm the chamber A and prevent condensation on the initial admission of steam therein, and this-heating may be continued throughout the operation, if desired. Steam having been admitted to the superheater 0 through the valve 0, one of the cocks O O O C is opened, and a continuous current of steam passes into the chamber A through the pipe D, escaping therefrom by the valve A. According as the temperature is required to be raised or lowered the steam is allowed to travel through a greater or less length of the superheater. If a temperature is required only slightly in excess of 100 centigrade, the cock 0 is opened, and the steam passes through only a short portion of the superheater before entering the chamber A through the pipe D. To raise the temperature, the cock 0 is opened and 0 closed, giving the steam a longer exposure to the heating medium the highest temperature being obtained by passing the steam through the Whole length of the superheater by opening the cock 0, the others being closed. By this means a perfect control of the temperature Within the chamber is obtained. The temperature is still further capable of being raised by passing a larger volume of steam through the superheater and allowing it to be carried 01f by an orifice of suitable size in the chamber. (This does not materiallyincrease the pressure in the chamber.)

I claim 1. In an apparatus for cooking &c., by steam, the combination with a receptacle or chamber, of a superheater, connected to said receptacle, and means for varying the extent of travel of the steam through the superheatenwhereby steam at varying temperatu re may be delivered to the receptacle or chamber; substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus for cooking &c., by steam, the combination with the receptacle or chamber, of a pipe for delivering steam to said chamber, a superheater having communication at various portions of its length with said pipe and valves for controlling comm unication between said superheater and pipe; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereto set my hand in the presence of the two subscribing Witnesses.

HUBERT HIGGINS.

Witnesses:

HAROLD WADE, HARRY B. BRIDGE. 

